Reuters - Health Report

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Thursday, February 15, 2018

U.S. healthcare spending to climb 5.3 percent in 2018: agency

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - United States health spending is projected to rise 5.3 percent in 2018, reflecting rising prices of medical goods and services and higher Medicaid costs, a U.S. government health agency said on Wednesday, an upward trend it forecasts for the next decade.

Minnesota renews push for tax on prescription opioids

(Reuters) - Citing rising opioid fatalities, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton on Wednesday announced a renewed legislative proposal to tax prescription opioid pills to help fund treatment.

Nokia starts review of digital health business, cuts jobs in Finland

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finnish network gear maker Nokia has started a strategic review of its digital health business and announced more than 400 job cuts in its home country.

McDonald's plays 'hide the cheeseburger' in new Happy Meal health push

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - McDonald's Corp is removing cheeseburgers from U.S. Happy Meal menus and shrinking the french fry serving in one "Mighty Meal" as part of a new global plan to cut calories and make its food for children more healthy.

China reports first human case of H7N4 bird flu

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has reported the first human case of the H7N4 strain of bird flu in a woman in an eastern coastal province, though she has since recovered.

Indivior legal costs rise, new anti-addiction drug ready

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Indivior, which makes drugs to treat opioid addiction and plans to launch a key new product this month, said on Thursday it had increased provisions for investigative and antitrust litigation matters to $438 million.

Oxford BioMedica wins second $100 million gene therapy contract

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Oxford BioMedica has won a second $100 million contract to supply gene therapy material, this time from Bioverativ, which agreed last month to be acquired by Sanofi for $11.6 billion.

FDA approves J&J prostate cancer treatment

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Johnson & Johnson's Erleada for use in prostate cancer patients whose disease has not spread but continues to grow despite hormone therapy.

Postpartum depression can linger for years and impact kids’ behavior

(Reuters Health) - Women whose postpartum depression lasts for several months are at heightened risk of having depression that lingers for years and it may affect their children, showing up as behavior problems and increased depression risk in the teenage years, a UK study suggests.

Trauma support may help low-income families earn more

(Reuters Health) - A federal assistance program designed to move low-income families toward financial independence comes up short – but results might improve if families also receive support that helps them deal with traumatic experiences, a new study suggests.